Mobile network operators will be authorised to self-provision international connectivity from March 2007, trade and industry minister Mandisi Mpahlwa said today.
This means mobile network operators Vodacom, MTN and Cell C can start to build their own international telecommunications networks without using Telkom, Sentech or Neotel's infrastructures, and can then levy their own charges for such connectivity.
Speaking at a media briefing on behalf of government's economic cluster of departments, the minister was unable to elaborate on what bits of legislation would have to be changed to allow the self-provisioning.
He also could not discuss why government had decided to allow the mobile network operators to become, in effect, fully-fledged telecommunications operators, with similar licences to Telkom and second national operator Neotel.
Read ITWeb tomorrow for reaction from the mobile operators, political parties and other industry observers.
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